Millau Overview

In a small valley between the Tarn and Dourbie Rivers, Millau (mee-yoh; pop. 25,000) originally put itself on the map as a Roman industrial center acclaimed for its sturdy red pottery. Several centuries later, the town shifted its focus to fine leather production. Today, it continues to export handmade gloves to elegant shops in Paris and New York City. In summer months, the town becomes a vacation haven. Visitors come mainly for hiking trails, mountain sports, spectacular views, and the newly built tallest bridge in the world.

Trains: In the centre-ville (☎05 65 60 34 02). Open M-F 5:30am-8:55pm, Sa 5:45am-8:55pm, Su 6:10am-9:15pm. To Béziers (2hr., 3 per day, €17), Montpellier (2-3hr., 3 per day, €22-24), and Paris (9hr., 1-2 per day, €64). SNCF and La Populaire (☎05 65 61 01 01) connect to Montpellier (2hr., 5-8 per day, €16-18). SA Verdie Bel (☎05 62 18 84 54) runs to Toulouse (4hr., M-Sa 7am, €26). Info desk (☎05 65 59 89 33) open M-W and F 9am-noon and 2-6:30pm, Th 9am-6:30pm, Sa 9am-noon.
Taxis: Laveissière Roger, 610 rue de Naulas (☎06 85 74 05 07).
Car Rental: Europcar, 3 pl. Frédéric Bompaire (☎05 65 59 19 19; www.europcar.fr). From €274 per week, €727 per month; discount for online booking. 21+. Open M-F 8:30am-noon and 2:30-7pm, Sa 9am-noon. AmEx/MC/V.

Orientation And Practical Information

To get to the centre-ville, take a right out of the train station; after the station parking lot, you will be on rue Georges Pompidou. After one block, turn left on rue du Barry, which becomes rue Droite at the vieille ville.

Tourist Office: 1 pl. du Beffroi (☎05 65 60 02 42; www.ot-millau.fr). Provides free city maps, hotel listings, regional maps (€9), and guides with hiking routes and durations (€8). Open July-Aug. M-Sa 9am-7pm, Su 9:30am-4pm; Sept.-June M-F 9am-12:30pm and 2-6:30pm, Sa 9am-6:30pm, Su 9:30am-4pm.
Laundromat: 12 av. Gambetta. Wash €3.20-6.50, dry €0.50 per 5min. Detergent €0.50. Open daily 7am-10pm; last wash 9pm.
Police: 14 rue de la Condamine (☎05 65 61 23 00).
Hospital: 265 bd. Achille Souques (info ☎05 65 59 30 00, emergency 59 31 35.)
Internet Access: Cyber Espace, 2 rue du Barry (☎05 65 59 83 30), en route to the tourist office from the station. €3 per hr. Open M 3-7pm, Tu-Sa 10am-noon and 2-7pm.
Post Office: 12 av. Alfred Merle (☎05 65 59 20 50). Currency exchange, Western Union, and ATMs available. Open M-F 8:30am-6:30pm, Sa 8:30am-noon. Postal Code: 12100.

Accommodations And Camping

Hôtel du Commerce, 8 pl. de Mandarous (☎05 65 60 00 56; fax 60 96 50). From the train station, walk down av. de Alfred Merle and turn right on av. de la République; the hotel is at the end of the street on the 3rd fl. Clean rooms with pearl-white baths, some with mountain views. Breakfast €5. Reception M-F 7am-11pm, Sa-Su 8am-11pm. Reserve at least 1 week in advance. Singles and doubles €27, with toilet €29, with shower €39, with bath €41; triples €52-55; quads €64. Extra bed €10. MC/V.
Hôtel de la Capelle, 7 pl. de la Capelle (☎05 65 60 14 72; www.hotel-millau-capelle.com). From the station, take av. Alfred Merle and turn right onto rue de la République. At pl. du Mandarous, veer left and walk along bd. de Bonald into the parking lot; the hotel is on the far left. A long corridor opens onto plain, sizable rooms with communal bathrooms and mountain views. Breakfast €6. Doubles €30, with bath €39, with bath and toilet €45-48; triples €65-68. AmEx/MC/V.
Gîte de la Maladrerie, rue la Maladerie, with the main office at 25 av. Charles de Gaulle (☎05 65 60 41 84, reservations 61 06 57). If possible, stop at the tourist office for a map; the gîte is 30min. from the centre-ville. From the station, go down av. Alfred Merle and take the 1st right onto rue d’Alsace-Lorraine. Continue through the traffic circle and through pl. des Martyrs de la Résistance, eventually crossing Pont Lerouge. Follow the road, which turns into av. du Pont Lerouge, to the traffic circle, then turn left onto av. du Languedoc. At the next traffic circle, make a slight left onto av. Louis Balsan. The gît e is to the left of the fork. Those willing to make the long trek will be rewarded with homey and clean 2- to 8-bed rooms with valley views. Kitchen. Meals served for groups only. Linen €2. McDonald’s around the corner with free Wi-Fi. Reception 6-9pm. Dorms 1st night €14, €13 thereafter. Cash only.
Camping Les Rivages, av. de l’Aigoual (☎05 65 61 01 07; www.campinglesrivages.com), 25min. from the centre-ville. Take av. Gambetta to the Pont du Cureplat, then follow the massive billboard signs. The most luxurious of 7 campgrounds across the Tarn River. Amenities include badminton courts, ping-pong tables, 2 pools, tennis courts, squash courts, volleyball net, basketball court, playground, and hot tub. 2-night min. stay for bungalows. Reception July-Aug. 8am-9pm; Sept. and May-June 8am-noon and 2-7pm. Gates closed 11pm-8am. Reserve 2 months ahead for RVs July-Aug. Open from Apr. to mid-Oct. July-Aug. 2 people and tent €27; RV sites or 4-person bungalow €50-70. Sept.-Oct. and Apr.-June 2 people and tent €21; RV sites or 4-person bungalow €39-56. AmEx/MC/V, except for bungalows.

Food

There is a Super U on av. du Pont Lerouge, between the train station and the Gîte de la Maladrerie (☎05 65 60 63 69; open July-Aug. M-F 8:30am-8:30pm, Sa 8:30am-8pm, Su 8:30am-1:30pm; Sept-June M-Sa 8:30am-8pm, Su 8:30am-1:30pm; AmEx/MC/V), and the centre-ville is dotted with supermarkets. At place Foche, place Emma Calvé, and place des Halles, markets provide fresh meat and vegetables. (Open W and F 7am-noon.) Selling over 100 types of cheese, Le Buron, 18 rue Droite, is a fromage -lover’s gold mine, specializing in regional Roquefort. (☎05 65 60 39 88. Open M 9am-noon and 3-7pm, Tu-Sa 8am-12:30pm and 3-7:30pm. AmEx/MC/V.) More expensive than those along the coast, Millau’s gourmet restaurants offer food produced with fresh local ingredients and an abundance of Roquefort cheese. In the heart of the vieille ville, boulevard and rue de la Capelle have a mixture of sit-down restaurants and cheap pizzerias.

La Casse Croute, pl. Emma Cave (☎05 65 59 45 36), next to the tourist office. Stands out from other sandwich shops for its excellent bread and creative combinations. Try La Campagnarde tartine (€3.30), a large piece of country bread toasted and covered with goat cheese, marinated eggplant, honey, and toasted almonds. Sandwiches €3.30-3.70, with a drink and pastry €5.80-6.50. Open daily 9am-7pm. Cash only.
Le Chien à la Fenêtre, 10 rue Peyrollerie (☎05 65 60 49 22). Serves elaborate galettes (€3-9) with generous portions of ingredients like salmon, cheese, and duck. Dessert crêpes (€2.70-5.90) made with any combination of bananas, chocolate, coconut, or ice cream—and more. The open cooking space keeps you close to the kitchen’s matron-in-command, who doles out peppery tips on how to avoid restaurant faux pas. Salads €8.50-9. Open M 7-10pm, Tu-Sa noon-2pm and 7-10pm. MC/V.
Au Bec Fin, 20-22 rue de la Capelle (☎05 65 60 63 04). Nestled in a nook of Millau’s vieille ville, this restaurant prepares seafood platters on a counter made out of wine barrels. Salads €7.50-13. Menu €13-18. Open July-Sept. daily noon-2pm and 7-9:30pm; Oct.-June M-Tu and F-Su noon-2pm and 7-9:30pm. AmEx/MC/V.

Sights

Millau’s most remarkable draw is the outdoor activities it offers—parachuting in the shadow of the world’s tallest bridge and among the ancient Gorges of Tarn is a unique experience. Those less inclined to explore the skies can pass the time in Millau’s museums.

Graufesenque. Hard-core history buffs will love the Roman pottery workshops at this archaeological site. In the first century BC, the red ceramic bowls and vases produced here were exported from England to India. Remains of the pots have been uncovered the world over and are used to date the conquests of the Roman army. For those not so in love with clay, this site isn’t worth the 45min. trek. (On route Montpellier, 3km from the city. Follow the directions to the Gîte de la Maladrerie, but instead of veering left toward the gîte, follow the sign to Graufesenque for 15min. Use caution; though traffic is not heavy, the road has no sidewalk. ☎05 65 60 11 37. Open Tu-Su July-Aug. 10am-12:30pm and 2:30-7pm; Sept. and May-June 10am-noon and 2-6pm; Oct.-Apr. 10am-noon and 2-5pm. €4, ages 18-25 €2.70, under 18 free. Combined ticket to the Graufesenque and the Musée de Millau €6.)

Musée De Millau. This museum displays local prehistoric artifacts and boasts a thorough exhibit on the process of making leather gloves. Animal lovers beware—the film is graphic. (Pl. Maréchal Foch. ☎05 65 59 01 08. Open daily July-Aug. 10am-6pm; Sept.-June 10am-noon and 2-6pm. €5, under 25 free. Combined ticket to the Graufesenque and the Musée de Millau €6.)

Belfry. The ancient tower of the Beffroi rises above the vieille ville. Built as a medieval dungeon in the 12th century, the belfry remained an active prison until just after the French Revolution. Today, visitors can wander through the small assortment of ancient jail cells and read the French commentary. (Rue Droite. ☎05 65 59 01 08. Open June-Sept. daily 10am-noon and 2-6pm. €2.70.)

Nightlife And Festivals

Bustling with tourists during the day, Millau does not offer much nightlife. Several cafe-bars sprinkled at the ends of boulevard de Bonald serve drinks in a calm, subdued atmosphere and cater to an older crowd.

Millau en Jazz (☎05 65 60 82 47; www.millauenjazz.net), 8 days in mid-July. Squares, streets, and concert halls flow with music. Pick up programs and tickets for big names (€17-20, 3 shows for €45) at the tourist office.
Mondial Pétanque (☎05 65 61 18 45; http://millau.petanque.mond.free.fr), 6 days in mid-Aug. Thousands of pétanque players compete in the annual tournament. International boule championship free to viewers.

Outdoor Activities

The town’s greatest asset is the beautiful Parc Naturel Régional des Grands Causses, which stretches throughout the region. Primitive humans first discovered this sunbathed region over 200,000 years ago and left behind various carved statues and cave paintings. Today, the 327,070-hectare park offers excellent mountain trails as well as an unlimited number of sporting activities. The tourist office sells hiking maps (€9) and guides (€8) as well as mountain-biking maps. The park office, 71 bd. de l’Ayrolle, can answer questions; it is particularly useful for those setting off on long hikes. (☎05 65 61 35 50. Open M-F May-Sept. 9am-noon and 2-6pm; Oct.-Apr. 9am-noon and 2-5pm.) For a fairly easy day hike from Millau (3hr., including walk to trailhead), stop by the tourist office for the Corniches du Cade Discovery Footpath guide (€8; in English and French). The guide gives directions for the walk and a catalogue of the flora along the way.

Millau is full of companies advertising every sporting activity imaginable. Most companies don’t provide transport; it’s best to have access to a car.

Organisation Roc et Canyon, 55 av. Jean Jaurès (☎05 65 61 17 77; www.roc-et-canyon.com). Provides transportation (€3-5) to their mountain sites. Paintball €27 per person. Rafting €31, €29 per person in a group. Canoe rental €14-29. Mountain-bike rentals €24 per day. Mountain-biking excursions €31 per day. 50m bungee jump €34. Underground cave climb €33. Rock climbing €29. Reservations recommended. Base near campsites on route de Nant open daily from mid-June to Sept. 9am-7pm. Office at av. Jean Jaurès open from Oct. to mid-June 9am-noon and 2-5pm. Cash only.
Horizon Millau Vol Libre, 6 pl. Lucién Grégoire (☎05 65 59 78 60; www.horizon-millau.com), just off pl. Maréchal Foch. Offers the same activities but specializes in hang gliding (€55-130, 5-session initiation course €325). Reserve days ahead. Open daily 10am-noon and 2-6pm. Cash only.